On May 1, engineers from International Chimney Corp.,
based in Buffalo, N.Y., began scaling the chimney's steep walls to determine
how badly time and nature have eroded the structure.

The 153-foot tower is the lone remnant of the Confederate
Powder Works, which produced 2.75 million pounds
of gunpowder between 1861 and 1865 from its site along the Augusta Canal.

The chimney was preserved after the Civil War when the
rest of the 28-building complex was razed to accommodate Sibley Mill and
other projects.

Consultants found cracked mortar between bricks and
vertical cracks ranging from 3 to 10 feet in length on the south, west and
east sides of the chimney, the report said.

One larger crack, almost 40 feet in length, was found on
the west face - and was attributed to a possible explosion during use,
overheating or minor settling.

Douglas Bond, an engineer with McMullan & Associates who
wrote the structural report, recommended that bricks that represent a
falling hazard be repaired and a better lightning protection system be
installed.

Also, he wrote, the cast-iron "cap" on the top of the
chimney is cracked and should be cleaned and repaired. Weeds growing atop
the chimney should be removed and prevented from regrowing.

The top of the chimney is particularly important because
its designer, a West Point-educated colonel named George W. Rains, is
rumored to have placed cornerstone documents there.

The assessment was conducted with a matching grant that
included $5,700 from Georgia's Historic Preservation Commission and $3,800
from the local Sons of Confederate Veterans chapter.